Sell Used BlueCrest Vantage Inserter

BlueCrest Vantage Models and Names We Buy

Depending on the age of your equipment, you may know your system as:

• BlueCrest Vantage

• BlueCrest Vantage Sorting Solution

• BlueCrest Vantage Mail Sorting Machine

• BlueCrest Vantage Letter Sorter

• Pitney Bowes Vantage

• Pitney Bowes Vantage Sorting Solution

• Vantage High-Speed Letter Sorter

• Vantage Letter and Flats Sorter

• Vantage Mixed Mail

• Vantage Mixed Mail Stacker

• Vantage FlexLine Sorting System

Older Vantage equipment may carry Pitney Bowes branding, while newer systems carry BlueCrest branding.

BlueCrest became independent from Pitney Bowes in 2018, but the Vantage platform spans both branding generations.

If you’re unsure exactly which Vantage system you have, send ZAR photographs of the machine, equipment labels, reader section, and stacker configuration.

Vantage Configurations ZAR Is Looking For

Vantage systems are highly modular. ZAR is interested in both standard letter-sorting configurations and more extensively equipped systems.

Tell us if your Vantage includes:

• Letters-only processing

• Letter and flats processing

• Mixed-mail capability

• Vantage Mixed Mail Stackers

• Single-sided stackers

• Double-sided stackers

• FlexLine stackers

• Two-, three-, or four-tier stacker arrangements

• Large pocket configurations

• WABCR wide-area barcode reading

• MLOCR address recognition

• Handwriting recognition

• OCR technology

• Inbound and outbound processing

• Intelligent Mail barcode processing

• Positive piece-level tracking

• SortEngine software

• SortEngine 360

• Mailpiece image capture

• Track-and-trace integration

• Double-mailpiece detection

• Separator-card detection

• Local video encoding

• Weigh-on-the-fly equipment

• Inline metering

• Mailpiece opening equipment

• Tray racks and conveyors

BlueCrest’s Vantage architecture allows systems to be configured very differently depending on the volume being processed, available floor space, mailpiece formats, and desired number of sorting destinations.

Send ZAR information on the complete sorting line rather than just the main transport.

What Affects the Value of a Used BlueCrest Vantage?

Because the Vantage is a modular sorting platform, two systems with the same Vantage name may represent substantially different equipment packages.

Letter-only vs. letters-and-flats configuration

One of the first things to identify is the mail range the system is designed to process.

BlueCrest has offered Vantage configurations specifically for letters as well as systems capable of handling both letters and flats.

The letters-and-flats configuration accommodates larger and heavier mailpieces, while the standard letter system may support substantially larger numbers of sorting pockets.

Mixed Mail Stacker capability

Tell ZAR if your machine has been upgraded with Vantage Mixed Mail Stackers (MMS).

BlueCrest developed this system to expand the range of mail characteristics the Vantage can process, including thicker mail and applications ranging from standard letters to business flats.

That capability can make the configuration significantly different from a conventional letter-only sorter.

Number and style of sorting pockets

The Vantage can be configured with different pocket quantities and stacker layouts.

Important information includes:

• Total number of pockets

• Single- or double-sided arrangement

• Number of stacker tiers

• FlexLine stacker configuration

• Mixed Mail Stacker configuration

• Tray-rack equipment

BlueCrest documentation shows letters-only systems capable of configurations exceeding 1,000 pockets, while letters-and-flats systems use a different pocket architecture.

Barcode and address-reading technology

Identify all recognition equipment installed on the machine.

This may include:

• Wide-area barcode readers

• OCR

• MLOCR

• Handwriting recognition

• Intelligent Mail barcode processing

• Backside image capture

• Local video encoding

• Mailpiece image archival

The reader configuration is especially important because one of the primary functions of the Vantage is capturing mailpiece data and determining the correct sorting destination.

Software

Tell ZAR which software and control platforms are installed.

Vantage systems may use technologies such as:

• Postal SortEngine

• SortEngine 360

• SiteVue diagnostics

• Operational reporting software

• Track-and-trace integration

• Mailpiece image management

Software generation and available licenses should be included with the system information whenever possible.

Mailpiece tracking and integrity

Positive piece-level tracking, double detection, inbound/outbound processing, and other integrity technology can affect what applications the system is suitable for.

Weighing, metering and postal equipment

Some Vantage lines include:

• Dual-lane weigh-on-the-fly scales

• Inline meters

• Postal verification equipment

• Intelligent Mail functionality

• Other postal-processing accessories

These components should be included when requesting an equipment valuation.

Mechanical condition and usage

Provide current meter information if available, along with:

• Current production volume

• Maintenance history

• Recent component replacement

• Known mechanical issues

• Current operating status

• Whether the sorter remains under service

High-volume sorting machines should be evaluated based on both configuration and actual operating history.

Vantage Speed and Production Capability

Vantage is designed for high-volume mail sorting rather than document insertion.

BlueCrest’s Vantage specifications show design speeds as high as 50,000 #10 envelopes or postcards per hour on certain letter-only configurations. Letter-and-flats configurations are rated differently, including approximately 40,000 letters per hour and up to 24,000 flats per hour, depending on configuration.

BlueCrest also offers technologies such as positive piece-level tracking, variable-speed operation, wide-area barcode reading, MLOCR, inline weighing, Intelligent Mail processing, image archival, and single- or double-sided FlexLine stackers.

These differences are why ZAR needs the complete machine specification rather than simply the Vantage model name when evaluating equipment.

Mixed-Mail Vantage Systems

A Vantage equipped for mixed mail deserves particular attention when preparing an equipment submission.

BlueCrest’s Mixed Mail Stacker technology was developed to process a broader range of mailpiece thicknesses and formats while maintaining automated sorting.

BlueCrest reports that Vantage systems equipped with Mixed Mail Stackers can process mail up to 10 mm thick at speeds up to 50,000 letters per hour in appropriate applications. The technology also maintains piece-level tracking through the sorting process. 

If your Vantage includes an MMS upgrade, photograph the stacker system and identify the approximate installation or upgrade year.

ZAR Is Actively Looking for BlueCrest Vantage Equipment

ZAR specifically identifies the BlueCrest Vantage among the BlueCrest production-mail systems it is currently interested in purchasing. 

ZAR has been buying and selling production print, mailing, sorting, and finishing equipment since 1989 and works with commercial mailing operations throughout the United States and internationally. 

For a modular system such as the Vantage, detailed information about the reader, software, pockets, stackers, and postal-processing accessories helps ZAR determine the potential value and resale application of the complete machine.

We Buy Vantage Components and Support Equipment

If additional equipment is installed with your Vantage, include it in the equipment submission.

ZAR may be interested in:

• FlexLine stacker sections

• Mixed Mail Stackers

• Sorting pockets

• Tray racks

• Feed-deck equipment

• Barcode readers

• OCR and MLOCR hardware

• Camera equipment

• Image-capture hardware

• Double-mailpiece detectors

• Weigh-on-the-fly scales

• Metering equipment

• Computers and controllers

• SortEngine-related hardware

• Conveyor equipment

• Spare modules

• Replacement components

• Spare parts inventory

If you are dismantling an entire mail-sorting operation, send ZAR the complete equipment list before separating the individual components.

Running, Idle or In Need of Repair?

Your Vantage does not necessarily need to be in daily production for ZAR to evaluate it.

We are interested in equipment that is:

• Currently operating

• Still under maintenance

• Being replaced by newer technology

• Recently removed from production

• Idle

• Disconnected

• In storage

• In need of service

• Missing selected components

• Part of a mail-center consolidation

• Part of a complete facility liquidation

Condition will affect value, but reader systems, stackers, cameras, postal equipment, and other components may still be useful even when the complete sorter requires repair.

Contact ZAR before scrapping or dismantling the machine.

What to Send for a Vantage Valuation

Because Vantage systems are highly configurable, detailed photographs and equipment specifications are particularly helpful.

For the fastest evaluation, provide:

• Manufacturer shown on the equipment

• Vantage model or configuration

• Year

• Serial number

• Current machine count or usage information

• Letters-only or letters-and-flats configuration

• Mixed Mail Stacker capability

• Approximate number of sorting pockets

• Single- or double-sided stacker configuration

• Number of stacker tiers

• FlexLine equipment

• Barcode reader configuration

• OCR or MLOCR capability

• Handwriting-recognition capability

• Intelligent Mail functionality

• SortEngine software version

• SortEngine 360 capability, if applicable

• Mailpiece image-capture equipment

• Track-and-trace capability

• Weigh-on-the-fly equipment

• Metering equipment

• Current operating condition

• Known mechanical or electrical issues

• Current service-contract status

• Equipment location

• Whether the machine remains powered

• Whether the machine can be demonstrated

• Photographs of the complete sorter

• Photographs of the reader section

• Photographs of the stacker/pocket configuration

• Serial and data-plate photographs

If the Vantage is still operational, a short running video showing feeding, reading, sorting, and delivery into the pockets can also help document its condition.